“Right here in North Carolina, the very mean-spirited, wrong-headed decision by your legislature and governor to pass and sign House Bill 2 has hurt this state. But more than that, it’s hurt people. It has sent a message to so many people that, well, you know, you’re really not wanted. You’re really not a part of us. My American dream is big enough for everybody.”

The over-dramatized talking points aside, Hillary isn’t wasting her time in the Tar Heel state. North Carolina is a state with a Republican governor, a strong Republican majority in the state legislature, two Republican senators–technically speaking–and 10 Republican member of the House of Representatives out of 13. Yet, at the time of this article, Hillary is leading Trump in the polls. When you add the lawsuit filed against North Carolina by the Department of Justice due to the bathroom bill, along with the current “investigation” into the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, things are looking pretty good for Mrs. Bill Clinton in the Republican-controlled state.

Much of this can be traced to the damage Donald Trump was predicted to bring to down-ticket candidates at every level due to his left-leaning views. For instance, Trump is on record as supporting much of the LGBT agenda, including the so-called “right” to use bathrooms, showers and locker rooms based on gender identity instead of biological sex.

With his position on this issue nearly identical to Hillary’s, so-called moderate Republicans in North Carolina are stuck between a rock and a hard place, causing them to cave on HB2 instead of defend it. I’m not defending this cave by NC Republicans–although I’m no longer surprised when it happens–but this is the latest evidence of Trump’s incredible weakness as the party standard-bearer, and how far the damage he brings to America is likely to spread.

By the way, while Hillary was campaigning, Trump made the media rounds to defend calling the 1996 Miss Universe winner, Alicia Machado, “Miss Piggy.” He also complained about “unfair” and “hostile questions” from the CNN debate moderator, and how he was given a defective microphone.